It is sometimes extraordinary to see a small link solve a whole murder case. Especially if it was a cold case put in the back burner without new leads. Such was the case with Mandy Stavik’s murder case. It took 28 years to confirm the killer and an additional two years to see the individual convicted of the crime. Though he still maintains his innocence, evidence and testimonies add up heavily against him.
As ABC’ 20/20′ explores the case, one can see how small details and gut feelings based on experience can go a long way in solving a crime. But of course, this alone cannot suffice, and this is precisely where this case has seen all kinds of theories.
Who is Mary Stavik?
Mary Stavik is Mandy Stavik’s mother. She moved with her daughters to Whatcom County when Mandy was in seventh grade. Mary Stavik divorced Mandy’s dad, Glenn Stavik, in 1974. Glenn Stavik remarried and continued to live in Anchorage, while Mary moved on.
Mary Stavik used to work as a school bus driver. Unfortunately, losing Mandy would not be her first time losing a child. Her oldest son, Brent Stavik, was killed when he went bow hunting. More than 20 shells were recovered from his back when his body was found. Even with Mandy’s death, Mary Stavik has regrets. She said that it was routine for her to join her daughter when she went jogging. She would usually ride a bike along with Mandy as she would jog. However, the day Mandy went missing, she did not as her sister had come over to the house.
Mary knew that she would be forced to relive the trauma of her daughter’s death once the killer was found. And this happened when Tim Bass was arrested in 2017, on her 81st birthday. She also gave her testimony in court for the trial. While the judge told her she could sit even though one is supposed to stand as the jurors walk in, she said, she’ll stand if everyone else will, and she did. After this, she shared her experience, pain, and resilience when it came to dealing with her daughter’s death. She said, “Mandy was special. She really was. I don’t know why she was or how she got to be that way…I kind of learned that the living has to go on to honor the goodness in what you’ve lost.”
Is Mary Stavik Alive?
It has certainly been some months since her last public appearance, which was in ’48 Hours.’ Nonetheless, there is no evidence to believe that she is not well. Though Mary Stavik was not able to find the killer of her son, she certainly seems to have found justice in the case of her daughter. Stavik, who will turn 84 this year, is presumably leading a healthy and happy life at her home in Whatcom County.
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